What is the best wireless induction charger for smartphone in 2022?

The stands The pads the double chargers And at Apple? FAQComments

Wireless charging is now popular on smartphones and accessories. What is the best Qi induction charger? Find our selection to never run out of battery on your Android smartphone, your iPhone or your wireless accessories.

Google's Pixel Stand

Long considered a gadget (who remembers the Nokia Lumia 920 and its Fatboy charger?), wireless inductive charging has slowly but surely made its mark thanks to the development of the Qi standard.

Since the Galaxy S5, it has even been one of the mainstays of Samsung's high-end smartphones. But the real recognition however came with Apple which ended up adopting it with the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X. Nowadays, it is a staple of flagships which makes it a differentiating element with high-end smartphones. more affordable. Inductive charging is also appearing on a growing number of accessories such as wireless headphones. Or e-readers.

At the same time, the standard itself has made good progress, notably improving charging speed. Initially limited to 5W, Qi now goes up to 20W on a handful of phones. Some brands go higher while maintaining Qi compatibility. We note among others Xiaomi with its disproportionate 100 W charger or Apple which reaches 15 W with its MagSafe charger.

However, there are many references on the market today and, if they all use the Qi standard, it can be complicated to find the charger that will offer optimal results for your smartphone. To help you choose, find our selection of the best induction chargers.

To accompany these chargers rarely delivered with a power supply, you will need a fast charger. No power outlet at hand? No worries with our guide to the best power banks.

"Stand" type induction chargers

Google Pixel Stand 2nd generation: our recommendation

Despite a high price, the first Pixel Stand was one of our favorite induction chargers . However, it has recently been replaced by a new version that comes with the release of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

In addition to a revised design and still so sober, this second generation has above all a much higher charging power than the original 10 W. It is indeed capable of supplying 23 W to the Pixel 6. Other smartphones will only be able to use "only" 15 W. To achieve this result, the stand is actively cooled by a fan.

Last strong point, it is one of the rare models delivered with a power supply unit, which makes the bill a little less expensive, even if the Pixel Stand 2 remains one of the best charges.

Find the Pixel Stand 2 for 80 € at Google

Belkin Boost Up Stand: the cheaper alternative

If we really like its design and its format, we must recognize that the Pixel Stand is pretty expensive. If you are looking for a more economical stand. Turn to the Belkin Boost Up. It is certainly a little less pretty, but it offers more or less the same performance at a more reasonable price, with the added bonus of a supplied power supply.

Find the Belkin 10 W Stand for less than 32 euros on Amazon

OnePlus Warp Charge 50 W: if you have a OnePlus or an Oppo

You bought a OnePlus 9 Pro and you want to do without son ? If the phone supports classic Qi charging, you can go even faster using the home charger. The latter is thus capable of supplying 50 W to the telephone. Enough to fill up in just 43 minutes! It is also compatible with the Air Vooc fast charge used by some Oppo smartphones.

To provide so much power, however, the charger has a relatively noisy fan. A silent mode, but charging slower, is however available and programmable from the smartphone. Note that the power supply is not delivered, so we recommend a 65 W Power Delivery charger.

Find the Oneplus WarpCharge 50W wireless charger for 70 €

"Pad" type wireless chargers

Belkin Boost: the classic

If we have mainly focused on the " stands " that we find more attractive on the desk or the bedside table at first, the pads are generally less expensive and just as efficient. The "default" choice is at Belkin with the "Boost", 15 W compatible, it has a non-slip surface on top. The coating is very soft and prevents scratches.

Unlike the stands, the pads also have the advantage of recharging compatible headphones without any particular convolutions. On the other hand, the latter are a little less practical insofar as it is sometimes necessary to slightly replace the telephone on the pad to be certain that the coils are face to face. Otherwise, we risk ending up with an uncharged smartphone in the morning.

If you are a handyman, there is a built-in version that works even under a few millimeters of wood.

Find the Belkin Boost for less than 30 euros on Amazon

Anker PowerWave: the inexpensive wireless charger

The Anker props could not fail to offer a wireless charger. With its PowerWave Pad, it offers a simple, effective and inexpensive solution since it will cost you less than 20 euros. It too is 10 W compatible, but to cut costs, Anker does not provide a charger in the box. You will therefore have to use one of yours like that of your current smartphone, or an old block.

If you have an old charger, it may not provide enough power to charge at 10W, so be careful. For the rest, it's classic: a very soft and grippy coating to avoid scratches and to keep the phone firmly in place on the pad. It will charge all Qi phones and accessories except the Apple Watch.

Find the Anker PowerWave 10 W for less than 15 euros on Amazon

Xiaomi 20 W: the most powerful induction charger

If you are looking for a powerful charger, you can finally turn to the charger 20W from Xiaomi. However, you will not benefit from this power on all smartphones, few of them support it. In reality, only the Xiaomi Mi 9 and its successors can really take advantage of it. That being said, who can do more can do less and it is not very expensive. Note that there is a fan that turns on from time to time to prevent overheating. To have one next to our bed, it is slightly audible, without being annoying.

Find the Xiaomi 20 W charger for less than 35 euros at Rue du Commerce

Double induction chargers

Samsung Duo: two make a pair

If you have need to charge several devices at the same time, we recommend that you opt for the Samsung Duo charger. With its two slots, it can accommodate a phone and an accessory such as AirPods or Galaxy Buds headphones, or a smartwatch (but not the Apple Watch)… or even two smartphones. Note that it comes with a mains unit.

Find the Samsung Duo station for less than 45 euros on Amazon

And induction chargers for iPhone (MagSafe) ?

If iPhones use the QI standard, the apple firm cannot s prevent you from doing things your way. The Apple Watches used proprietary inductive charging, but things got a bit more complicated with the introduction of MagSafe on the iPhone 12s.

Behind this name is actually a classic Qi charging system coupled with a system of magnets. As a result, the charger moves less and you can, for example, make a phone call while charging your phone. However, we let you judge the effective usefulness of this development since we de facto recover a thread in the paw…

Apple MagSafe Charger: the fastest iPhone charge

If the iPhone 12 now accepts wireless charging up to 15 W, you will however have to go through a MagSafe compatible model to take advantage of this speed. The official Apple model just does the bare minimum, but does it well. The charge is indeed fast and the finish impeccable.

Be careful though, it does not come with the mains unit. Apple recommends its 20W USB-C charger, but any USB-C charger capable of outputting 9W/2.2A should do. A simple and effective product. Too bad, however, that the cable is short.

Find the Magsafe charger for €45 at Amazon

MagSafe double charger: perfect for travel

The MagSafe Duo was also presented!

If you have an iPhone and an Apple Watch, the MagSafe dual charger is particularly interesting. Foldable, it is able to charge your two devices at the same time. Be careful though, it comes without a power supply. To get the most out of it, you will therefore need a charger of at least 27 W and a USB-C to Lightning cable.

Find the MagSafe double charger on Amazon for €149

Belkin 3-in-1 charging station with MagSafe: ultra complete

iPhone 12, Apple Watch, AirPods… You have them all! Rejoice, now it's possible to charge it all up in one fell swoop with the Belkin 3-in-1 Charging Station. As its name suggests, it allows you to charge your iPhone in MagSafe, the headphones via a Qi pad and the Watch via its proprietary support.

Unlike some models, the charger comes with the support, a particularly valuable point given the price of the set.

Find the Belkin 3-in-1 charger for €150 at Amazon

Belkin station: for the iPhone / Apple Watch combo

The old version of the Belkin docking station remains relevant if you don't have the latest iPhone. It exists in two versions: with a Lightning connector for your iPhone, or with induction charging. The first model (illustrated above) has the merit of supporting the watch in suspension, for a frankly nice effect. It also has the merit of being cheaper: count around 80 euros.

On the "100% induction" model, the iPhone will therefore charge wirelessly, but the watch will be placed on its edge. It's a little less sexy, but necessary for wireless charging of your iPhone. It all depends on what you prefer, knowing that this version is significantly more expensive: around 130 euros.

Find the Belkin charging station (with Lightning) for less than 80 euros on AmazonFind the Belkin charging station (wireless) for less than 140 euros on Amazon

Understanding wireless charging

Charging fast wireless: how do I know if my smartphone is compatible?

There is no immutable rule to know if your smartphone is compatible with wireless charging; there is no logo that would always appear on your phone. However, as it is a selling point, manufacturers generally put it forward.

In other words, if your smartphone is compatible, you probably know it. In general, high-end smartphones support it. Since the iPhone 8 and X, Apple has offered it on its products, just like Samsung on its recent and less recent Galaxy S. The same goes for Huawei on its premium products. Note that almost all smartphones today are compatible with charging at 7.5 or 10 W. This is why we do not suggest a 5 W charger in this selection of the best wireless chargers.

This table will give you a quick idea of ​​the supported powers. Be careful though, all smartphones of the same brand do not always benefit from the same charging speed.

Brand	Fast Charge
Samsung	15 Watts (proprietary)
Huawei	15 Watts (proprietary)
Google	23 Watts (proprietary)
Apple	15 Watts (proprietary)
Xiaomi	67 Watts (proprietary)

Induction charging, how does it work?

The wireless charging works on the long-known principle of magnetic induction. Basically, it consists of passing an electric current through a copper coil creating a magnetic field which propagates to the receiving coil creating a current in the latter, which is redistributed to the battery.

The range is particularly low, to the point that a slightly too thick shell prevents it from working. Don't worry, there is no health risk.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of wireless charging?

The main advantage of wireless charging is obviously its convenience. No cable to connect, just put the phone on the station to recharge the batteries and this avoids having wires lying around. Its main disadvantage is energy loss, which implies slower charging than with a cable and higher consumption.

To put it simply, it takes between 3 and 4 hours to fully charge a smartphone. That's fast enough to charge your device during the day at the office or overnight, but if you're in a hurry, use a cable instead.

Wireless charging, what are the trusted brands?

There are a plethora of brands offering wireless charging stations. We advise you to avoid small stations of unknown brands, which are not always very scrupulous about standards, especially if you go through imports. Better not to joke in electrical matters. We recommend to prefer reputable brands like Samsung, Google, Aukey or even Belkin.

Wireless charging, does it use up my smartphone's battery?

What you should know is that inductive charging heats up the smartphone more than wired charging. Worse still, incorrect positioning of the smartphone on the charger leads to an even greater temperature rise. To compensate for the offset of the coils in the charger and the smartphone, the charger is forced to increase its power.

It is therefore important to have a quality product. All chargers are not equal on this issue and it is better to favor a model capable of dissipating heat correctly. This will avoid draining your smartphone battery.

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